Short Shorts
by Eiedolon
Summary: A collection of one-shots. T for caution. All from Hel's perspective
1. Chapter 1

"Shall we do this?" I asked Toby, referring to having Cole stuff him in a trash can. He stepped up close to me, so close that our noses were almost touching, and my heart began to beat faster.

"I just realized something. I know why you have them beat up on me everyday," he said. Did he really know? Of course he didn't.

" 'Cause I hate you?" I asked. But I didn't hate him. Far from it, actually.

"Bacause you love me," he said. My eyes got wide, and he smiled, and I saw something in his eye. A glint of hopefullness? Was it really? No, Hel, you're fooling yourself. How could he like you after all you've done to him. He looked into my eyes, and saw the truth.

"That's right, isn't it? We're both outsiders, we're both ignored, we both have railroad tracks for braces. We're lonely and boring and always getting in trouble because there's nothing better to do. So, you're head-over-heels in love with me, and that makes you furious! Am I right?" he asked, hitting the nail on the head. For a second, I felt like nodding, and let myself fall into his strong arms. But then I thought better of it.

"How about…No!" I lied, as I painfully watched Toe Thompson stuffed into a trash can by Cole. I loved Toby. But what the mind and heart wanted, the body couldn't have. If everybody saw me weak, and flimsy, then they would pick on me, and I would let Daddy down, and no amount of comfort from Toby could console me. I walked away regretfully, imagining myself running back, pulling Toe from the trash can, dusting trash from his shoulders, and have him hold me.

I replaid that fantasy again and again in my mind, and finally I actually did slow down a little. Just a little.


	2. Chapter 2

It pained me to hurt Toe like this to eat his only friend: a fish. But if he had to be kept under the illusion of me hating him, it had to be done. He opened his backpack.

"Say hello, to my little friends!"he shouted. Nothing happened. He looked into the backpack, scowled, and then tackled me.

The short physical contact felt like a taste of heaven in hell, and I soaked it up blissfully. I saw the fish land in the tank, and I was relieved. But, then we were falling, and I saw little discs zipping through the air. Aliens! In my surprise, we slipped throught the window, and begant to plummet. Toby began pulling at me, trying to move me toward him and upwards.

I realized what Toby was doing: he was trying to shove himself underneath me to break my fall. After all I had done to him! The classroom wasn't very high up, so he didn't succeed in time. We hit the ground, thumping down next to eachother. Our heads were so close, that if we both tilted our heads, he could kiss me. I made myself forget my wishful fantisies, because I knew they would probably never be more than that; wishes and fantisies.

"I think I broke…a nail," I said, almost saying," I broke my heart. Come help me recover," but catching myself before I did.


	3. Chapter 3

"Toe. Are you coming to my Dad's party tonight?" I asked, hoping he would say yes. I knew he would like the way I looked tonight.

I had a silver net on the top of my head, looking like a spider web atop my black hair, that, usually up in pigtails, would be down to my shoulders. I also wore a cute black evening dress, that stopped just below my knees, where you could see my shaved legs, which was one of the things my mom had taught me before she went off in search of some greek relic when I was really little. I wore black matching sneakers with it, which completed my nice child-bad nemesis look.

"No," he said. It would have been much easier if he had just said yes, but hey, you can't have every luxury.

"Good," I said quickly, covering up the fact of ny sadness.

"Bye. And you better stay away!" I threatened.

"You don't have to worry about that," he said. We hung up, and I took out an old year book, and found Toby in it. I just couldn't stay away from him. Time slipped by, and eventually, it was time to greet the guests. I walked down the stairs akwardly, struggling with the heavy casts. I heard the doorbell ring, and then went to get it, hoping it was Toby. On the front porch, I found a silver purse, just lying there. I picked it up, and soon felt two quick taps on my right shoulder. I turned around, and saw nobody.

"Whatcha lookin for?" asked a familiar voice on the other side of me. I turned around and hit Toby in the face with one of my casts.

"OW! What was that for?" he asked.

"I told you to stay away!" I said, watching Toe clutching his injured eye.

"I had to get my mom's uhh…Purse," he said as he took the purse from my hands.

"What's going on out here?" asked a voice from the doorway. There was my dad.

"This it Toe…I mean Toby. He came to bring me my math homework," I said, taking the purse from him, and holding it up.

"I'm sorry son, Helvetica has a knack for calling unwanted attention to our family. Hel, let the boy in, and give him a bag of ice for his face," said daddy. I pretended to be mad, but was secretly happy.

"Yeah. Let's go Hel," he said jokingly, as I put my arm around his shoulders, forceful enough to appear rough, but still really just for physical contact. I smacked him in the stomach with my free arm, as gently as I could, but still making him grunt. I led him into the kitchen, got a bag of ice for his face, and gave him the purse.

"What's so special about that rock?" I asked, as he took it out, and stared at it. He handed it to me.

"Tell me Hel? What do you wish for?" he asked. I was about to say " I wish you knew that I liked you," when Cole burst into the room and saw Toe.

"Sweet!" he said, as he picked up Toe, and stuffed him in the trash can.

"I wish you were a dung beetle!' I shouted. And before my eyes, my brother became a dung beetle.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm gonna squash you for this," I told Toby. I was really lying, but still I had to say it. His friend, the one called Loogie, had just walked in with flowers. I loved being able to spend the time with Toe, even if he did break both of my arms.

"I know," he replied simply. It made me sad that he knew the lie I had been telling him for so long so well. I felt the need to just talk to him, openly, without any threats, but I knew I couldn't risk it. How long would this lie continue?

"So you don't know who those little dudes were?" asked Loogie to Toe.

"I thought they were my friends," Toby replied. Those guys had been aliens! What was going on?


End file.
